Guard for manholes.



No. 781,122. I v PATBNTEDJAN.31,1905.

H. '0. BAKER.

GUARD FOR MANHOLES. APPLIGATION FILEDJAN. 8, 1904.

2 BE EBTSSHZEBT 1.

WITNESSES, 1 I v Manon g v w A Eff 2 PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905. H. G.BAKER. GUARD FOR MANHOLES.- AP-PLIGATIQLK FILED JAN. 8, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

A A AAA" AAAAAA mmnon WI "(E8858- 4 rro/msrs New York, in the county ofNew York and UNITED STATES Patented January 31, 1905.

HUGH O. BAKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

r GUARD FOR MANHOLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,122, dated January31, 1905.

Application filed'd anuary 8, 1904. Serial No. 188,165.

T at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IUGH O. BAKER, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Guards for Manholes, of which the following is aspecification,

such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and usethe same.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved guard formanholes which is simple in construction and operation and which may bequickly and conveniently placed over a manhole, so as to fully andcompletely guard the same while workmen are engaged therein.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompany- 'ing drawings form a part, in which the sepacanvasor other suitable material.

In the practice of my invention as shown in the drawings I provide amanhole-guard which is of the general form of a tripod and whichconsists of a plurality of telescopic legs a, preferably four in number,hinged at their upper ends to a ring or similar support Z). The legs aare composed of top members and bottom members a which are adapted to betelescoped into the top members, and the lower ends of the top'memb'ersare provided with bands a having set-screws (4*, whereby the lower endsof the top members are strengthened and whereby the lower members a maybe secured at any desired point of adjustment within the top members.

Loosely connected 7 with the bands a of each of the leg members at c arerods 0 provided with hooks 0 adapted to be connected with eyes, rings,or similar devices 0, con nected with the bands a of the next leg members, and the lower ends of the bottom leg members a are provided withpoints (Z, which may be formed integrally therewith or connectedtherewith in any desired manner.

The upper end of one of the legs a is provided with a socket attachment6, into which may be inserted the staff e of a flag 6 which isintendedas a danger-signal, and'around the bottom end portions of the bottom legmembers a is placed a flexible strip. f, preferably of canvas, while asimilar strip f is placed around the upper end portions of the legs a,and these strips also add to the efficiency of the guard and may have anadvertisement placed thereon.

The ring member 6, to which the legs a are hinged, is preferablyrectangular in form, and if. four of the legs a, are employed thismember will have four sides, and if three are employed the said ringmember will have three sides. I

The upper leg members at may be formed in any desired manner; but Iprefer to form the said members and connect them with the ring member 5,as shown in Fig. 4:, each of said members being provided with aprojection at one side, which is folded around said ring member to forma hinge. v

In Fig. 2 the leg members are telescoped together and the entire devicecompactly folded and the strips f and f are removed; 'but it will beunderstood that the said device maybe folded together withoutremovingsaid strips, if desired. I

In Fig.5 of the drawings I have shown my improved manhole-guard providedwith a covering g, of canvas or other suitable material, which inclosesthe entire guard,'and the flexible stripf is removed; but my improvedguard may be used with or without the covering g andwith or without theflexible strips f'andfh 1 have also shown at h in Fig. 5 a cord which issuspended from the ring, link, or support 6 by a hook b and this cord itis in practice used as an anchor to hold the guard in position over themanhole, and the said cord may be secured in the manhole in any desiredmanner for this purpose.

My improvement forms a strong and safe guard for manholes and may beconveniently used wherever devices of this class are required and may becompactly folded together for transportation whenever necessary.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A guard for manholes, comprising a top member or support, legs hingedto said support and comprising top and bottom telescopic members, thebottom leg members being adapted to be telescoped into the top legmembers, and means for detachably connecting said legs at the bottom ofthe top leg members, substantially as shown and described.

2. A guard for manholes, comprising a top member or support, legs hingedto said support and comprising top and bottom telescopic members, thebottom leg members being adapted to be telescoped into the top legmembers, and means for detachably connecting said legs at the bottom ofthe top leg members, said legs being also provided with aflexible stripadapted to be secured around the same when in position for use,substantially as shown and described.

3. A guard for manholes, comprising a top member or support, legs hingedto said support and provided with telescopic bottom members, and rodsloosely connected with each leg at the lower end of the upper partthereof and adapted to be detachably connected with the next leg at thelower end of the top part thereof, substantially as shown and described.

4. A guard for manholes, comprising a top member or support, legs hingedto said support and provided with telescopic bottom members, and rodsloosely connected with each leg at the lower end of the upper partthereof and adapted to be detachably connected with the next leg at thelower end of the top part thereof, said legs being also provided withflexible strips which are passed'around the top and bottom portionsthereof, substantially as shown and described.

5. Aguard for manholes, comprisinga ringshaped top member or support,legs hinged to said support and provided with telescopic bottom members,rods loosely connected with each leg at the bottom of the top partthereof and adapted to be detachably connected with the next leg at thebottom of the top part thereof, said legs being also provided withflexible strips which are passed around the top and bottom partsthereof, and one of said legs being provided at the top thereof with aflag-holder, substantially as shown and described.

6. A guard for manholes, comprising telescopic leg members hinged to atop support, the top parts of the leg members being provided at theirlower ends with bands, rods loosely connected with the bands of each legand adapted to be detachably connected with the bands of the next leg,flexible strips passed around the separate parts of said legs, and aflag-support connected with the top of the guard, substantially as shownand described.

7. A guard for manholes, comprising telescopic leg members hinged to atop support, the top parts of the leg members being provided at theirlower ends with bands, rods loosely connected with the bands of each legand adapted to be detachably connected with the bands of the next leg,flexible strips passed around said legs, and a flag-support connectedwith said guard at the top thereof, said bands being also provided withset-screws for holding the telescopic leg members in the desiredposition, substantially as shown and described.

8. A guard for manholes, comprising a top member, legs hinged to saidmember and comprising top and bottom telescopic parts, the upper partsof the legs being provided at their lower ends with bands, and rodsloosely connected with the bands of each leg and adapted to bedetachably connected with the bands of the next leg, substantially asshown and described.

9. A guard for manholes, comprising a top member, legs hinged to saidmember and comprising top and bottom telescopic parts, the upper partsof said legs being provided with rods loosely connected therewith andadapted to be detachably connected with the other legs, substantially asshown and described.

10. Aguard for manholes, comprising a top member, legs hinged to saidmember and comprising top and bottom telescopic parts, the upper partsof each leg being provided with a rod loosely connected therewith andadapted to be detachably connected with the upper part of the next leg,said guard being also provided withan anchor, cord, or rope suspendedfrom the top thereof, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 have signed myname, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 7th day of January,1904.

HUGH C. BAKER.

Witnesses:

F. A. STEWART, C. J. KLEIN.

